Crio’s Q…”Beware the wounded warrior”

As the Dogs tried to break the Saints in their recent semi, Kosi seemed to lend a hand, smashing in to Riewoldt who crashed, stunned, to the turf. Here, it seemed, was the moment. Instead, the great #12 dusted himself off and set about winning the match.

Last week, as the Aussies turned the screws on India, VVS Laxman limped out with a runner, his team facing ruin. The sublime innings that ensued secured a famous victory.

It’s a fabled sporting adage…”BEWARE THE WOUNDED WARRIOR”….and it should generate heroic reminiscences.

Comments

  1. John Butler says

    Any time Gordon Greenidge was limping.

    Deano’s double ton in the tied test.

  2. Darren Millane playing through the 1990 Finals series with a broken hand. Whatever was wrong with Millane’s behaviour off field, his on field courage and ability to play above his capacity was undeniable and awesome.

  3. John Butler says

    Nigel Lappin playing the 2003 GF with busted ribs.

  4. JB – Nigel Lappin!!! a warrior!!! hahahahahahaha

  5. #4 – sorry I was thinking of Matthew Lappin. oooops. Brave Carlton warrior!

  6. Andrew Fithall says

    I remember that day at Carlton when Chris Judd was out of the team with an ankle injury. Despite his problems, he still got 3 votes from the umpires.

  7. John Butler says

    You seen too Carlton-focused Dips.

    Worried? Seeking distraction maybe?

  8. John Butler says

    AF

    He probably deserved them too. :)

  9. John Butler says

    Norm Smith

    After Captain Blood cleaned him up in the 1940 2nd semi, Dyer was amazed Smith played the next week. Dyer thought it the best “bump” he ever laid- which is saying something.

    Smith went on to kick 7 in the GF, as the Dees got their revenge on the Tiges.

  10. Tennis, it seems, creates a pseudo-wounded warrior, who takes injury breaks, causes distractions and then wins.
    Any real injuries become retirements.

  11. The bloke in the ‘Monty Python’ film who would not give up after multiple amputations.

    ‘I can still bite you on the knee caps’

  12. Sydney Malakellis says

    Josh Fraser playing 200 games with a pulled heart muscle?

    On a more serious note, Dermie, 89 Grand Final, sixteen broken ribs, three punctured lungs.

    Bastard.

  13. Phil Dimitriadis says

    Alan Toovey. Wounded by lack of ability, yet still became a Premiership player!

  14. Dane Swan, who has played three of his best years of footy despite clearly requiring regular injections in both arms.

  15. 13 & 14 – LOL!

    For me its Alan Didak’s shoulder injury. Dids played the entire finals series with a torn pectoral muscle. Had i known this BEFORE hand i would not have got Dad to put money on Dids to win the Normie!

  16. Adam Simpson, Round 17, 2005.

    Played with a punctured lung and several broken ribs.

  17. John Butler says

    #12 SydMal

    Don’t forget Dipper’s cracked sternum in same match.

    Double bastard?

  18. Peter Flynn says

    Millane

  19. John Butler says

    Eddie Maguire, for carrying on as Pres despite the grievous sacrifice of 5 Gold Logies.

  20. There are lots of brave sportsfolk but I guess that i was thinking, like with Roo or Greenidge, of people who seemed to actually lift a notch when the circumstances suggest otherwise.
    Though before my time, I’d reckon Skilts with a broken nose and corkie would’ve still be a lethal opponent?

  21. JB 19: Haha

    Francis Bourke once played through a match with a broken bone in his leg, apparently. I was probably about -20 years old.

    More recently, the new ex-Tiger Andy Collins got stretchered off in the last quarter of Round 14 against Sydney before coming back to kick the last two goals. Hope to see a bit less of that courage now.

  22. Rick McCosker
    Tulloch
    Jim Steynes
    Ken Hunter

  23. Wondered when the McCosker call would come.
    Tulloch is a great get.
    You’re the expert…there are some horses who come out bandaged like a mummy and then go better. Takeover Target, I think, used to look proppy?

  24. Manikato

  25. Crio, regarding comment #10.

    My brother in law is a physio who treated Ivan Lendl at the Hong Kong Open when he was being coached by Tony Roche. He said he had the worst legs (injury wise, not aesthetically) from the knee down than any footballer he had ever treated. He was amazed he could walk, let alone play at any level.

  26. Tiger Woods 2008 US Open win

  27. On fire Budge. Great get.

  28. Dermie in the 1989 GF

  29. I reckon opponents’ coaches would feel this way about Lllleyyttonn Hewitt…when he looks gone, he’s dangerous.

  30. …maybe I should read prior posts (re #12)

    Speaking of #12, pretty cheap shot re Fraser. He played 200 more than you did my friend, always one out & always against bigger/heavier blokes. Not a star by any means but worthy of more respect than what he gets from some forums. I guess it’s the Australian way to knock those who have actually done far more than most of us put together.

  31. John Butler says

    Lance Armstrong winning 7 Tour de Frances after cancer must fit in here somewhere?

  32. Sydney Malakellis says

    #30, um yeah, was a cheap joke.

  33. Sydney Malakellis says

    Although I’d also say that just about every great comedian in history took cheap shots at people.* I don’t reckon it’s just an Australian trait to send up people more worthy than themselves.

    *Not for a second claiming I’m a great comedian…

  34. Pamela Sherpa says

    #19 JB Hilarious- you’ve started my day with a laugh

    I thought of McCosker with that swollen face all bandaged up. And Dean Jones in India when he batted til he was exhausted. I assume that was the tied test JB

    Lance Armstrong – incredible.

    On a more serious note – I feel that the line between bravery and stupidity is blurring these day- when footballers are clearly injured and they go back out onto the field- especially when there are interchange players on the bench which is what I thought it was supposed to be for.

  35. re #34: Excellent point Pamela. Jordan Lewis took one of the hardest (mid-flight) knocks I’ve witnessed earlier this year when the hawks played the Dogs. he was KO’d. Later in the game he came back on. I felt sick to the stomach. However, in another (less extreme) example, Hodge broke his ribs early in the 2008 Prelim againgst the Saints. He spat blood out and got on with the game. And went on to win a GF for the Hawks … then there is the case of Cousins, who was clearly very unwell for a very long time and still he (and the club) persisted with letting him play on. It won WC a premiership but what untold damage has it done to Cousins and many others?

  36. Peter Flynn says

    A brave warrior said goodbye to footy today.

    Played M Rooke

  37. and played as J.Rooke.

  38. Andrew Fithall says

    And as Tony Wilson just tweeted: “Max Rooke, legend. You peered into the minefield of #AFL Jareds, with all their alternative spellings, and gave us clarity. We will miss ya.”

  39. Lance Armstrong?
    Question mark there?
    Hasn’t made the grade since that question was seriously asked.

  40. Pamela Sherpa says

    #39 Phantom. Lance hasn’t made the grade? A tad harsh I feel. Question mark or no question mark- I assume you are referring to the drugs issue. I think his effort to get back on his bike after surgery for multiple cancerous tumours is incredible and inspiring.He is no spring chicken either. Try riding your bike up and down the hills that fast with or without help!

  41. David Downer says

    Crio, a couple of Steve’s come to mind…

    Steve Waugh’s 157 not out in the 5th Ashes Test at the Oval in 2001. After rupturing a calf in the 3rd test (and missing the following match where England recorded a suprise Butcher-led victory), SRW returned for the last Test, still noticeably hampered by the injury – most wouldn’t have played. It seemed more a personal statement of grit directed to some of the Poms sitting out injured with comparatively minor complaints, and Waugh basically limped his way to 150. Australia made 641 and cantered to an innings (and English soul-destroying) win.

    Steve Hooker this year in the World Athletics Championships Pole Vault. He defied doctors orders by jumping with an adductor tear, but still managed to claim the gold medal by sitting it out for as long as possible, and going for broke with a couple of jumps.

  42. Great examples Dave. Tugga copped some flak for that knock too, didn’t he?

  43. David Downer says

    That does ring a bell Crio. If I remember correctly, the fact he actually played was branded a little “self indulgent” in some quarters, not to mention barely being able to run between the wickets …but as per most of his career, he had the last laugh.

    Another one from left-field here …Greg Louganis from the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After smashing and cutting his head on the diving board in the preliminary dives (gee that’s gotta hurt! – and, quite rightly, also consumed with worry his blood would cause HIV contamination concerns for other competitors), he was strong enough both mentally and physically to return and win the Gold medal.

  44. You worry me David. I trust you shouldn’t be landing aeroplanes or anything else while consumed with these recalls?!

  45. Arjuna Ranatunga always played injured – or I assume he was injured as he always seemed to need a runner…

  46. What about a real disability?
    Bhagwat Subramanya Chandrasekhar (informally Chandra)…wikipedia notes

    Overcoming a polio attack which withered his right wrist as a child, so that he always used his left arm for throwing, he became one of the most successful leg spin bowlers in cricket history. An unorthodox bowler with an unusually long run-up, Chandrasekhar played in 58 Test matches, and collected 242 wickets in his career. He often bowled at medium pace, substituting his leg break, for he was not a big turner of the ball, for his googly or flipper to much success. He considered Englishman Ken Barrington as the hardest batsman to bowl to.
    He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1972 and won the Wisden’s “Best bowling performance of the century” award in 2002, for his 6 wickets for 38 runs against England at the Oval in 1971.[1]

    Chandrasekhar had minimal batting skills, finishing with an average of 4 and the highest percentage of ducks in Test history. He was given a special Gray-Nicholls bat during the 1977-78 Australian tour with a hole in it to commemorate the four ducks he scored. He has 23 ducks to his credit.

    He also holds the dubious record of scoring fewer runs (167) off his bat than wickets (242) taken in Test Cricket. The only other cricketer to have achieved this ‘record’ over a significant Test career is Chris Martin.

    Attributed to him is a famous umpire-directed quote, made during a day of bad decisions in New Zealand after several of his LBW appeals were given not-out: “I know he is bowled, but is he out?”

  47. David Downer says

    #45 Budge,

    As Ian Healy famously remarked to Ranatunga: “you don’t get a runner for being a fat lazy ****”

  48. #46 Crio, great get. Love watching the Indian spinners bowl in 1977-78, Bedi, Chandra and Prasanna (I think).

    I’d reckon you can add Bill Bowes (bowling Bradman for 0 in 1932-33) to that auspiciopus list.

    On topic, Clive Waterhouse managed to play his entire career without a cerebral cortex.

  49. Mr R

    Kirk Gibson’s heroics in Game 1 of the 1988 WS – home run on one leg off the most dominating closer in the game at the time, perhaps ever.
    It lifts the Dodgers to an unbelievable victory that set the scene for a massive boilover series win.

    They haven’t one won since.

    Link below for those interested.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PlWhQ6gaPY

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